From the Sector

• Bangladeshi supplier offers production capacity to produce face masks and PPE on a non-profit basis
• Reaching out to global agencies to build partnerships to help tackle COVID-19 crisis
• “Now is the time for our whole industry to stand together”

A leading Bangladeshi garment manufacturer is offering the manufacturing capacity of his world-class facility for the production of protective face masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on a non-profit basis to help tackle the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Denim Expert Limited Managing Director, Mostafiz Uddin, has reached out to the global community including brands & retailers, governments, embassies, donors, development agencies, global apparel associations and bodies in these unprecedented times.

Mr. Uddin is offering the capacity, skills and production expertise of his factory and wants to develop partnerships to meet much-needed short-term demand for masks and PPE in the battle against COVID-19.

Those willing to partner with him and wishing to utilize his production capacity would only be asked to provide fabrics and raw materials as well as meeting workers’ wages.

Artisan craft, experience and high eco-technological specialization: the great tradition of fabrics for shirts which styles the future.

Search for quality, the ability to interpret elegance and a product inspired by tradition, though always trendy: these are the distinctive traits which define the vocation of Canclini 1925, a point of reference worldwide for shirt fabric manufacturing. This expertise is implemented through dynamic creativity and 100% Made in Italy artisan  craft. These are the foundations which make the history and capability of Canclini 1925 unique, as standard bearer for everlasting style.

All this results from an authentic family tradition which, for three generations, has been the driving force of the company, shaping each collection. This passion is at the service of tireless search in terms of style and technology which underlies the whole Canclini 1925 innovative approach. The goal is to offer, through its fabrics, an inimitable experience, “creating wellbeing” and emotion through touch alone, respecting the environment and humans.

Founded in 1925, Canclini has always been a company able to combine extraordinary creativity and product care, established as a silk factory in the Como region. This tradition was renewed in the 1960s with the shift to the cotton sector, aiming more and more at customer service, developing a partnership and trust relation. Working with Canclini 1925 means reaching into the tradition of a family which has always been passionate about its work, dynamic, creative and focused on continuous innovation.

These are distinctive and qualifying elements in the Canclini 1925 approach. An approach which, in line with the research and development pathway on which the company has always invested substantial resources, also involves considerable attention the topic of environmental and social accountability. This commitment is confirmed by numerous and prestigious certifications in the company portfolio, starting from the careful selection of raw materials to its social commitment. More specifically, Canclini 1925 has been awarded the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), SUPIMA COTTON (the Pima “Gossypium Barbadense” cotton, classified as Extra-long Staple) certifications, following the Standard 100 by OECO-TEX®, BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) and GRS (Global Recycle Standard). A comprehensive range of tools which, combined with its in-house know-how and expertise capital, enhances the portfolio of Canclini 1925 branded innovations.

This accountability approach also encompasses the social area with the association “Un sorriso in più” (“One extra smile”). Founded and managed by the company, it is a non-profit organisation engaged in projects which include assistance in nursing homes to elderly persons without family ties, as well as in the support to children living difficult and disadvantaged family situations, focusing its activity on “human life quality”. The uniqueness generated by this meeting between tradition and innovation is the driving force behind corporate research, as well as the truly distinctive reason for its style and technology development. The high-performance looms and technologies used make the company strong and flexible enough for contemporary market requirements. The trademark passion of the Canclini family completes the picture within which the company operates, true to an approach which is at the same time artisan and high-tech, a point of reference in Italy and worldwide.

Thanks to its substantial manufacturing capacity, Canclini today is present on all of the most influential shirt markets worldwide, and – with its new Blue 1925 line - also in the denim world. In this way the company has succeeded in positioning itself among major players in textile manufacturing, authentically Italian because of its farsighted  business vision, care for details and production flexibility. It is the approach which – over the years - has allowed the group to take over important enterprises in the sector, for example Hausmann-Moos and Profilo Tessile, Maglificio Mida and Grandi & Rubinelli.
According to Simone Canclini, CEO of Canclini 1925: “What characterises the Canclini 1925 spirit is first and foremost genuine passion driven by our inspiring principles: quality, style and service. These elements have allowed us to become and remain a point of reference worldwide, to rediscover the everyday – basic and exciting – emotion of choosing a special shirt”.

A focus on customer service, aligned with the drive to constantly innovate, has long ensured that the member companies of TMAS – the Swedish texile machinery manufacturers’ association – stay well ahead of the curve.

“All of the Swedish textile machinery companies are doing really well in major markets such as Europe, China, India and the USA,” says TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “They are now gathering forces to prepare for the most important show – ITMA 2019 in Barcelona in June. I expect to see new players and partnerships as we enter the industry 4.0 era for real. We are ready to display an even higher degree of the real time monitoring of processes, automation, flexible customisation, and the incorporation of robots into production lines.  Our customers expect a lot of in terms of knowledge and our ability to customise and offer turnkey solutions.”

The forward-looking attitude of the Swedish companies is perhaps best summed up by Reimar Westerlind, the owner, since 1961, of ACG Gruppen.
At the age of 90, Reimar still travels to his office every day to oversee the operations of the diverse companies operating under the ACG umbrella.
“Everything now is about automation and digitisation,” he says. “We have to be on that track or we will be lost – innovate or die.”

Robotics
One ACG Gruppen company moving rapidly forward with new innovations in this area is ACG Kinna, which at ITMA 2019 will be providing dramatic live demonstrations of its new robotic pillow filling system.
This has the ability to fill and finish some 3,840 pillows per eight-hour shift, which is a considerable improvement on what is currently possible with existing systems, resulting in significant savings in both labour and energy for busy home textile businesses.

At ITMA 2019, Eton will be demonstrating a complete material handling solution with advanced software providing real-time information covering every aspect of the process.
“Our systems are a natural fit with the major Industry 4.0 networked manufacturing plants that are now being constructed worldwide for sectors such as the garment and home textiles manufacturing and automotive industries,” says Eton’s Sales and Commercial Director Roger Ryrlén.

Sensors
Advanced senor developments are playing a large part in moving many areas of the textile industry forward too.
Eltex of Sweden, for example, is achieving considerable success with its yarn fault detection and tension monitoring systems across a range of sectors, including the tufting of carpets, the creeling of woven materials and even the production of woven reinforcements for the composites industry.

At successive ITMA shows, IRO AB has also consistently introduced new milestones in the field of yarn feeding technology for weaving machines, and ITMA 2019 will be no exception.
“Following significant investment in our R&D capabilities, we have been making great progress in further boosting the efficiency and performance of our expanding X3 range,” says IRO AB Managing Director and Chairman of TMAS Mikael Äremann. “I can’t remember a time since the 1980s when we had so many new innovations to unveil at an ITMA, and I’m greatly looking forward to the positive response to them we are anticipating in Barcelona this June.”

Resource savings
ITMA 2019 will meanwhile see the launch of TexCoat G4 – the next generation of Baldwin Technology’s non-contact precision application system for fabric finishing. The TexCoat G4 enables a continuously high-quality and productive textile finishing process with zero chemistry waste and minimised water and energy consumption.
The non-contact spray technology brings a range of advantages including single or double-sided application,  the elimination of Foulard bath contamination, low wet pick-up levels leading to the elimination of drying steps, zero chemistry waste in changeovers of chemistry, colour or fabric, and the possibility of batch reporting, visibility of pad loading, chemical usage etc.

Other TMAS companies exhibiting in Barcelona include Texo AB, whose wide-width weaving looms make the belts for machines on which half of the world’s paper is made, ES-Automatex, which specialises in bespoke automation concepts and Svegea, a company leading the field in a number colarette machines and cutting and slitting equipment.

“At the last ITMA in 2015 in Milan, there was much talk about Industry 4.0 technologies but certainly from the perspective of TMAS, ITMA 2019 will be the place for concrete solutions as to how data and the new tools we have available can be exploited to the full,” says Therese Premler-Andersson. “There is already much more networking between the companies, with software very much the enabler and common interfaces bringing ideas closer together. We are greatly looking forward to further exchanges of ideas when meeting with customers old and new in Barcelona.”

Based in Porto, Portugal, Rodrigo Siza will focus on nurturing new regional collaborations to benefit the needs of Lectra’s customers, and faciliate their success in the Industry 4.0 era. Rodrigo will rely on Lectra’s highly experienced teams located in the region.
“Rodrigo has very effectively established long-term partnerships with our fashion and apparel, automotive and furniture customers in Portugal. He has helped our customers to emerge stronger from the world crisis which heavily impacted them. After 10 successful years as head of Lectra Portgual, Rodrigo is now also in charge of meeting the expectations of our Spanish customers,” stated Daniel Harari, Lectra Chairman and CEO.

Players in the region are witnessing a strong dynamic, notably fashion brands in Spain and fashion and automotive industrialists with heightened added-value in Portugal. With the recent announcement of a new strategy to focus on Industry 4.0, Lectra is in a strong position to support these businesses in the digitalization of their processes.
For industries faced with more demanding consumers and ever-shorter product development and manufacturing cycles, integrating all steps along the extended supply chain, from design to cutting, is now a top priority. This is particularly apparent in Spain and Portugal, two countries positioned, in their own way, at the heart of Europe’s fashion and automotive industries.
Rodrigo started his career at Tradetex, a trading company of textiles for clothing, as a textile designer. From 1991 to 1999, he was an associate of V-Sistemas Informatica, specialized in the development and distribution of technical solutions for the textile industry. In 2000, he joined Lectra Portugal as a design and merchandising manager, and then evolved into the position of international consultant in 2004. He left Lectra in 2005 to take the position of Sales Director of RPB Têxteis e Vestuario, a company that makes clothes, before returning to Lectra in 2007 to take over the management of the Portuguese subsidiary. Rodrigo has a masters in marketing from Minho University and a degree in design and communication from Porto University, both located in Portugal.

“At Huntsman Textile Effects, we recognize our responsibility to not only create value for our stakeholders but to make a sustainable and vibrant world possible for future generations,” said Rohit Aggarwal, President of Huntsman Textile Effects. “Water is an essential resource and we are grateful for the opportunity to support and work closely with village leaders and local authorities with a sustainable solution to water issues faced by local villagers.”
Marking the inauguration of the storage facility at a ceremony in Luna village, Mr. B.R Naidu, Zonal Officer, Central Pollution Control Board said, “This initiative by Huntsman is a sustainable move as this will solve the perennial issue of water for Luna village for years to come. Huntsman has set an example for other companies to take similar initiatives in Baroda”.
The Luna village received water from Narmada water project but due to insufficient storage capacity, the water was drained away in nearby pond. In close consultation with major stakeholders like Sarpanch and Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Huntsman’s Baroda site management proposed the construction of a water storage facility as a long-term solution for the village.
The project was operated on a Public-Private-Partnership model and took close to two years to complete. Through a Memorandum of Understanding between Huntsman Textile Effects and Luna local administration, the project was scoped out with committees formed with assigned roles and responsibilities prior to work commencing. With construction complete and all final inspections successfully concluded, Luna village takes over the running and maintenance of the water tank. Huntsman invested and managed the construction of the tank, working hand-in-hand with the Gujarat Water Board who undertook the laying of pipelines, drilling of wells and other underground work required for a complete water solution.